New Zealand Forces Memorial

During the Battle of Broodseinde on 4 October 1917, the New Zealanders succeeded in taking the ‘Mittelriegel’. This was a communication line with bunkers and barbed wire running between the heavily fortified German Wilhelm and Flandern I defensive positions. On this day alone, the New Zealand troops took 1.200 prisoners of war and advanced by up to one-and-a-half kilometres. The attack was seen as a success for the New Zealanders, despite their 450 dead. On 12 October, the second and final New Zealand action at Passchendaele turned out completely different, with exceptionally heavy losses for a limited gain of ground.

Of the two Passchendaele actions, the New Zealanders took their defined objective only in the Battle of Broodseinde. It was decided after the war to erect a monument in the middle of that area, at the ‘s Graventafel crossroads. The New Zealand Forces Memorial was unveiled in August 1924 by the London-based High Commissioner, Sir James Allen, who during the war had served as New Zealand’s Minister of Defence. During the unveiling no mention was made of the tragedy on 12 October 1917, but ironically it rained constantly throughout the ceremony. In his speech, Sir James Allen praised the events, stating that "Although the super-human task which the New Zealand Division was called upon to perform (at Passchendaele) proved impossible of achievement, it was, nevertheless, one of the greatest successes of the war".

Today the Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains the New Zeeland Forces Memorial on behalf of the New Zealand government.

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Source

• Text: Luc Van Waeyenberge
• Photos: Arjan Vrieze (1, 2), Luc van Waeyenberge (3, 4, 5)
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